The Camera (short film / original score)

In an abandoned beach house, a solitary girl finds a mysterious camera that reveals something unexpected.
————————
“Perfect in its simplicity, beautiful and haunting in its visuals, The Camera is a reminder that a great film is in everyone’s grasp, as long as he/she has the creative capacity and appropriate willpower to drop pretension, and quite simply, make something.” —Short of the Week
“From its delicate shot composition to an emotionally stirring score, Peter Lewis‘s The Camera is a crash course in great filmmaking.” —Film School Rejects Short Film of the Day
“A compelling example of what’s possible when perseverance and resourcefulness meet.” —DirectorsNotes.com
“Awesome … ‘The Camera’ proves that beautiful movies can be made simply and makes you want to get out and make your own!” —Mitch Aunger, planet5D
“Haunting” —FStoppers.com
————————
Facebook Page (in progress): facebook.com/TheCameraShortFilm
Aside from a few running-around-in-the-woods-with-guns-when-I-was-fourteen unfinished short films, this is my first film. I made it because I love all the different aspects of filmmaking, because I was tired of my fear of failure, and because I wanted to see what would happen if I just finished one. Maybe this will lead to bigger and better films; maybe not. Either way I learned something.
The story was largely born from its constraints. It had to be doable in my free time, and I had to be able to shoot it during my vacation in Nags Head, NC—with a budget of only $50, to cover the props (I’d previously owned the Canon T2i, lenses, and Logic Pro, and used the free 30-day trial of FCPX). I wanted it to be a simple story with a mysterious twist or two.
I got lots of advice from fellow filmmakers—Andrew, Mitchell, Kyle, Brian, Shepherd, Drew, David, and others. If you like the film, thank you Andrew, Mitchell, Kyle, Brian, Shepherd, Drew, and David. If you thought it was rubbish, they only tried to make it better than it was. And thanks again to Abbie and Gabe, without whose talents I couldn’t have made it.
Some have asked about Emily; the film wasn’t written about her (she passed away while it was in post-production), but she was a dear friend of my family and many others, and it was an honor to dedicate it to her memory.
Many of you know far more about filmmaking than I do, so please feel free to offer any critique.
The Lights Film School blog interviewed me about the making of the film and overcoming fear of failure: lightsfilmschool.com/blog/short-film-canon-t2i-low-budget/1780/
FILM FESTIVALS
– DC Shorts Film Festival
– Surrey International Film Festival
– Winner, Best of Fest, Fandana Film Festival
– Festival du Film de Vacances
– Low Country Indie Shorts
– MudasFest
– Choice Cuts (London)
– Write.Shoot.Cut
FEATURED
– Short of the Week
– planet5D blog
– Digital Convergence podcast (digitalfilm.tv/blog/2012/4/26/digital-convergence-podcast-episode-70-imagine-creativity-on.html)
– PetaPixel blog
– Impossible Project blog
– FSTOPPERS blog
– Film School Rejects Short Film of the Day
– Directors Notes blog
– Making the Movie blog
– Charlotte Viewpoint front page
– The Veda House blog
– Movie Playoffs Favorite Shorts
– New American Storytellers Screening Room
– WriteShootCut blog
– Independent Filmmakers Channel
– 01SHORTFILM Channel
– 200+ additional blogs
————————
Director / DP / Editor / Composer / Colorist / Sound Designer / Foley: Peter Lewis
Girl: Abbie Lewis
Boy: Gabe Lewis
————————
Camera: Canon Rebel EOS 550D T2i
Lenses: Canon 50mm 1.4, Tamron 28-200mm
Editing / Color Grading: Final Cut Pro X
Sound Design / Foley / Original Score: Logic Pro 9
Polaroid film: The Impossible Project
————————
Follow me on twitter: @thispeterlewis